Mixing or kneading device



Oct. 13, 1970 Filed Sept. 6, 1968 United States Patent O 3,533,604 MIXING R KNEADING DEVICE Andries Cornelis Sabelis, Haarlem, Netherlands, assignor to Nautamix Patent A.G., Zug, Switzerland Filed Sept. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 757,904

Claims priority, application Netherlands, Sept. 12, 1967 6712479 Int. Cl. B011? 7/08 US. Cl. 259-102 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for mixing, stirring or kneading one or several substances, the apparatus having a column mounted for axial rotation in a vessel, at least one arm fixed at one end to the column and extending toward the side wall of the vessel, a treating member rotatably supported by the other end of the arm and extending downwardly to a bracket on the bottom of the column. A first drive means turns the column so that it, the arm and the member rotate with the column and a second drive means turns a drive shaft extending axially within the column to drive the treating member about its own axis, at least one and preferably both of the drive means being supported by a movable support mounted on the vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One form of apparatus for performing treating operations such as mixing, Stirring or kneading on one or several substances employs a vessel which is essentially of inverted frusto-conical shape. The vessel has a bearing which supports a column which is coaxial with the vessel and which is rotatable about the common axis. Extending radially outwardly from the column is an arm which at its outer end engages a member which extends between the arm and a bracket positioned on the column. A first drive means is provided to rotate the assembly consisting of the column, arm and member about the columns axis. The treating member is rotated about its axis by a second drive means which rotates a shaft extending within and coaxial with a column which shaft drives another shaft extending through the arm and which drives the treating member.

In such apparatuses the bearing which supports the column, the drive means for rotating the column and the bearing for the drive shaft which drives the member about its own axis as well as the drive means for rotating the member are all mounted in a box which is rigidly connected to the vessel. Such an arrangement has several disadvantages. For one, the reaction forces generated by the column, arm, and member rotating through the substances in the vessel as well as the weight of this assembly must be supported by the drive means. Therefore, the box must be supported by a heavy structure mounted on the vessel. Structures of this kind add appreciably to the height and weight of the apparatus and are consequently undesirable.

Another disadvantage is that the transmissions through which the two drive means rotate the column and the arms are subjected to much wear. Because of the heavy duty to which the transmissions are subjected, they must be of heavy construction and consequently waste a considerable portion of the useful output of the driving motors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above disadvantages are overcome by providing a frusto-conical vessel with a column mounted therein for rotation about the common axis of the vessel and column. Au arm extending outwardly from the column to engage 3,533,604 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 ice at one end a treating member which extends to a bracket on the column, a first drive means for rotating the column, arm and the treating member about the columns axis, a second drive means for driving a shaft within the column to drive the member about its own axis at least one of the drive means being mounted on a support which is movably mounted on the vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The figure is a side view, partly in section, showing treating apparatus made in accordance with the present invention.

*DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the figure there is shown a mixing vessel 1 of inverted frusto-conical shape in which a vertically extending hollow column 2 is positioned so that it is coaxial with the vessel. The column 2 is rotatably supported at its lower end by a bearing 3 which is mounted in a lower or base wall 4 of the mixing vessel 1. The bearing 3 allows the column 2 to rotate about its own axis but prevents lateral movement of the column 2 in relation to the vessel 1. The column 2 includes a broadened portion 5 which is close to the upper end of the column 2. The upper end of the column 2 is rotatably supported in a self-adjusting bearing positioned within a bearing block 6, the self-adjusting bearing, which is not shown in the drawing, preventing downward movement of the column 2. The bearing block 6 is supported by a plate 7 which is secured to the top of a side wall 8 at an annular flange 9 provided on the top thereof. The top end of the column 2 projects upwardly beyond the bearing block 6 and into a housing 10 which accommodates a drive means and a transmission for rotating the column 2 about its own axis. The transmission and drive means Within the housing 10 are not novel per se, and are not shown in the drawing.

Extending outwardly from opposite sides of the broadened part 5 of the column 2 are two hollow arms 11, each of which extends radially toward the side wall 8. Each of the arms 11 have an outer end 12 which engages an upper end 13 of a shaft 14 of an associated mixing screw 15. Each assembly of a shaft 14 and screw 15 constitutes a treating member and is mounted within the outer end 12 of an arm 11 by a bearing which prevent downward axial movement of the screw 15. As shown in the drawing each mixing screw 15 extends adjacent to, and parallel with, the side wall 8 and is inclined with respect to the column 2. The lower end of each of the shafts 14 is rotatably supported on a pin 16 which is mounted on a bracket 17 fixed to the column 2 at a location adjacent to the lower end of the column 2. With this arrangement the shaft 14 can slide axially with respect to the bracket 17 but cannot move radially with respect to the column 2. The brackets 17 are arranged diametrically opposite to each other and in the same vertical plan as the arms 11 so that when the assembly consisting of the column 2, arms 11, screw 15 and bracket 17 rotates, the shafts 14 of the mixing screw 15 are moved smoothly by the column 2.

Extending longitudinally in each hollow arm 11 is a shaft 18 which extends to the associated outer end 12 of the arm 11. A bevel gear 19 is fixed to the inner end of each shaft 18 within the broadened part 5 of the column 2. The two bevel gears 19 mesh with a bevel gear 20 which is perpendicular to both of the gear wheels 19 and which is fixed on the lower end of a driving shaft 21 which extends upwardly through the column 2 to a height beyond the upper end of the column 2. The shaft 21, which is rotatably mounted in the column 2 extends upwardly into a housing 22. Within the housing 22 are drive means for rotating the shaft 21 about its own axis. The housing 22 is supported on the top of the housing 10. The rotation of the drive shaft 21 will cause the mixing screws 14 to rotate about their own axis as they simultaneously rotate about the axis of the mixing vessel 1 under the action of the column 2.

The housings and 22 are supported on the mixing vessel 1 so that they can move relative to the mixing vessel while a continuous driving engagement is maintained between the column 2 and the transmission within the housing 10 and between the driving shaft 21 and the transmission within the housing 22. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the housing 10 uses two means of permitting relative movement between it and the mixing vessel 1. On the right side of the housing a reaction rod 23 is pivotally connected at its upper end to a tongue 24 which extends outwardly from the housing 10. The lower end of the reaction rod 23 is pivotally connected to a flange on the upper portion of a bar 25 which is supported at both of its ends on the annular flange 9. The left side of the housing 10 is supported by flange 26 which rests on a buffer 27 of resilient and shock absorbing material. If desired, a housing 10 could use a buffer or buffers such as 27 around its entire periphery or alternatively, reaction rods such as 23 could be used as the only means of allowing relative movement between the vessel 1 and the housing 10. The important thing is to assure that the transmission within the housing 10 does not support the weight of the assembly comprising the column 2, arm 11 and screw so that a lighter, smaller and more eflicient transmission can be utilized.

The invention also works satisfactorily if a treating member other than the screw 15 is used or if a number of treating members other than two is used.

The foregoing describes but one embodiment of the present invention, other embodiments being possible within the purview of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A treating apparatus comprising a vessel, a column mounted for rotation about its own axis in said vessel, an arm having one end fixed to and extending outwardly from said column, a treating member rotatably mounted in the other end of said arm, bearing means mounted on said vessel and rotatably supporting said column, said bearing means being constructed and arranged to support the weight of said column, arm, and treating member, a first drive means arranged to rotate said column so that said column, arm, and treating member revolve about the same axis, a drive transmission means extending into said column and said arm for rotating said treating member, a second drive means for driving said drive transmission means, and mounting means mounting said first drive means on said vessel to provide for relative movement between said first drive means and said vessel, said mounting means reducing the extent of the reaction forces generated by the revolving column, arms and treating members being transmitted back to said drive means, thereby facilitating provision of a lighter, smaller and efiicient first drive means.

2. A treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises member made of resilient, shock absorbing material.

3. A treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a reaction rod having one end portion pivotally connected to said first drive means and the other end portion connected to said vessel.

4. A treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first drive means is mounted above said bearing means.

5. A treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second drive means comprises a housing mounted on the housing of said first drive means.

6. A treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bearing means comprises a self-adjusting upper bearing preventing downward axial movement of said column and a lower bearing preventing lateral movement of the lower end of said column.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,663 4/1958 Nauta 259102 3,450,390 6/1969 Nauta 259-102 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,239,864 7/1960 France.

ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner 

